Mechanism for locking the sections of traction-rollers together.



PATENTED- AUG. 8, 1905.

W; H. GOLDWELL. MECHANISM FOR LOOKING THE SECTIONS OF TRACTION ROLLERS TOGETHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.13.1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

I @VENTOR W dll'OF/ZJ/S 'PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

, W. H. OOLDWELL. MECHANISM FOR LOOKING THE SECTIONS OF TRACTION ROLLERS TOGETHER.

2 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13.1905.

,pensating gearing out of operation .rarily.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. COLDWELL, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK.

MECHANISM FOR LOCKING THE SECTIONS OF TRACTION-ROLLERS TOGETHER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed March 13,1905. Serial No. 249,871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. (JOLDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newburgh, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanism for Looking the Sections of Traction-Rollers Together; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to .which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I have contemplated embodying the invention, and the invention is fully disclosed in the followingthereof, showing the compensating gearing for driving said rollers and the mechanism for locking said roller-sections together. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the guides for the locking-bar. Fig. 4isa plan view of the locking mechanism in inoperative position. Fig. 5

is a similar view showing the locking mechanism in operative position. Fig. 6 is a detail-perspective view of one of the roller-sections, showing the engagement of the lockingbar therewith. x

In the use of motor lawn-mowers and other rollers driven by means of a motor it is usual to form the traction-roller in sections to facilitate turning the machine and to drive the rollersections by means of compensating gearing interposed between the motor and said rollers in order to permit one section of the roller to rotate at a different speed from the other or others in moving around a turn. It sometimes happens where the ground is very lumpy or where there are soft or muddy spots to be passed over that one section of the tractionroller will .rest upon solid ground while the other or others are over a depression or in a soft or muddyv spot, so that in the application condition,it is necessary to connect the roller-- sections for joint movement and put the comtempo- My present invention comprises a simple device for locking the roller-sections together for joint movement which can be thrown into and out of operation by the operator of the machine as required.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown my invention applied to the roller of a motor lawn-mower; but it is obvious that it may be applied to any machine propelled by a traction-roller comprising sections placed end to end and driven by a motor through the instrumentality of a compensating gearing.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of a motor lawn-mower supported by the traction and lawn-rolling roller formed, preferably, in two sections B B (see Fig. 2) and by a suitable steering-roller O. The frame A carries a motorD of any preferred construction, which is connected to the axle E of the rollers through connections including a sprocketchain (not shown) and a sprocket-wheel e on said axle.

F represents the lawn-mower frame provided with the usual cutting mechanism and arranged forward of the motor-frame and connected thereto by push-arms'f. These parts form no part of my present invention and will not, therefore, be specifically described.

The rollersections B B are preferably loosely mounted on the axle or shaft E and have their inner ends closely adjacent to each other. Between the roller-sections I locate the compensating gearing, which comprises the bevel gear-wheels I) 6, connected to the respective roller-sections and engaging pinions g, carried bya spider (Jr, rigidly attached to the shaft or axle E. When power is applied to the shaft or axle E from the motor D, it will be transmitted to the roller-sections in the same manner as is usual when compensating gearing is employed.

One of the roller-sections B is provided with a longitudinally-disposed locking bar or bolt, which can be projected into the other roller -section and into position to engage some part thereof, as the lug 6 cast therein,

so that both roller-sections will be forced to travel together, and the compensating gearing will be temporarily thrown out of operation to facilitate the driving of the machine over bad ground where the traction of the roller-sections is uneven. I prefer toprovide two of the lugs b in theroller-section which is not provided with the locking-bar, said lugs being perforated to receive the bar; but .it is not necessary that the bar should engage the aperture in the lug, as it may engage the exterior thereof, if desired, as when it is projected into the other roller-section it will be in the path of one of the lugs Z), and will thus serve to lock the two roller-sections together. To this end one of the roller-sections B is provided internally with a pair of guides for the locking-bar. I prefer to provide one of these guides in the form of a lug h, cast on the interior of the roller-section adjacent to its inner end and provided with a circular guidingaperture. The other guide it is preferably formed separately, as shown in Fig. 3, and consists of a block having its bottom face b curved to fit the inner face of the roller and having a central guiding-aperture 7L Aslot if is formed at one side of this central aperture and extends entirely through the block, and on the other side of said aperture the block is provided on the face nearest the center of the roller with a recess U of substantially the same cross-section as the slot it". The block it is also provided with apertures 7&6 to receive screws for securing it to the interior of the roller.

H represents the locking bolt or bar, which extends through the guiding-apertures in the block it and lug it and is provided with a spring 7L7, encircling the same and arranged between the lug it and a stop it which consists in this instance of a pin extending transversely through the bar or bolt, as shown, and adapted to normally force the bar longitudinally away from the other section of the roller. The locking-bar H is also provided with projecting pins or stops lit/L arranged on opposite sides of the bar and at a distance apart equal to the movement of the bar longitudinally necessary to make it engage the other rollersection. When in inoperative position, the stop or pin it engages the notch it in the guiding-block it (see Figs. 2 and 4E) and is held therein by the pressure of the spring b and the stop-pin it" is on the outer side of the block It. The locking-bar H is provided at its outer end with a handle' it, projecting laterally therefrom and lying within the rollersection adjacent to its outer end, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) so as to be within easy reach of the operator.

\Vhen it is desired to lock the roller-sections together, the operator grasps the handle it of the locking-bar and pushes it inwardly against the tension of the spring [L7, thereby pushing the stop or pin 71, through the slot it (see Figs. 4: and 5) in the guide-block h until said stop or pin is on the inner side of the block. The operator then turns the handle it and bar H one-halt a revolution to bring the stop or pin 70 in line with the notch [L5 in said block it and permits the spring if to force the bar outward, so as to seat the said pin it in said notch, thus holding the locking-bar H in its innermost or operative position with its inner end (which is preferably slightly beveled or pointed, as shown) in the path of one of the lugs Z) of the opposite roller-section or into the aperture of one of said lugs and locking the rollers together, so that power will be transmitted to both roller-sections, as indicated in Fig. 5'. The lockingbar can be quickly withdrawn to normal position by pushing it in slightly to disengage the pin it from the locking-notch 72?, giving the bar one-half turn and permitting the rod to move outward under the influence of the spring k untilthe pin it engages the locking-notch.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a shaft or axle, of a traction roller, comprising rollersections placed end to end, and a compensating gearing for transmitting power to said roller-sections, of a movable locking device carried by one of said roller-sections adapted to be moved into position to engage apart of the adjacent roller-section to lock said roller-sections together, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a shaft or axle, of a traction-roller comprising roller-sections placed end to end, and a compensating gearing for transmitting power to said roller-sections, of a longitudinally-movable lockingbar, carried by one of said roller-sections and arranged parallel to the axis thereof, said bar being adapted to be projected into the path of a part connected with an adjacent roller-section to lock said roller-sections together, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shaft or axle, of a traction -roller comprising roller-sections placed end to end, and a compensating gearing for transmitting power to said roller-sections, of a longitudinally-movable lockingbar, carried by one of said roller-sections and arranged parallel to the axis thereof, said bar being adapted to be projected into the path of a part connected with an adjacent roller-section to lock said roller-sections together, and means for locking said locking-bar in its projected position, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a shaft or axle, of a traction-roller comprising roller-sections placed end to end, and a compensating gearing for transmitting power to said roller-sections, of a longitudinally-movable lockingbar, carried by one of said roller-sections and arranged parallel to the axis thereof, said bar being adapted to be projected into the path of a part connected with an adjacent rollersection to lock said roller-sections together, a retracting-spring for said locking-bar, stops on said bar at different points longitudinally thereon, and a stationary part connected with the roller-section carrying said locking-bar, for engaging said stops, to secure said bar in operative and inoperative positions, substantially as described.

5. The combination with ashaft or axle, of a traction-roller comprising roller-sections located at different points longitudinally thereof, for engaging one of said guides, said stop-engaging guide being provided with a slot for the passage of one of said stops therethrough whereby said bar may be locked .in operative or inoperative position, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a shaft or axle, of

- a traction-roller comprising roller-sections placed end to end, and a compensating gearing for transmitting power to said roller-sections, of a longitudinally-movable lockingbar, carried by one of said roller-sections and arranged parallel to the axis thereof, said bar being adapted to be projected into the path of a part connected with an adjacent rollersection to lock said roller-sections together, supporting-guides for said locking-bar, secured to the roller-section carrying said bar, a retracting-spring for said bar, stops secured to said bar at different points longitudinally thereof and projecting from opposite sides of said bar, one of said guides being provided on one side of its guiding-aperture with a slot to permit the passage of one of said stops therethrough and on the other side with a lockingnotch into which said stops are forced by said spring to hold the locking-bar in operative or inoperative position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. COLDWELL.

Witnesses:

M. MOBURN EY, PARKER VANAMEE. 

